Arch support



L. GUTIVIANN.

ARCH SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED JUNE II. 1917.

Patented May 30, 1922.

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:LUDWIG GUTMANN,

ARCH sUPPoRT. i

Application ld .Tune 11,

To all whom 151 may concern:

Be it known that T, LUDWIG GUTMANN, a.

citizen of the United States, and residing at.-

St. Louis, Missouri, have invented the new and useful Improvement in Arch Supports,-

. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to arch supports and more particularly to that type adapted to be inserted into a shoe and laid on the inner sole.

The failure of practically all wholesale'` tion with only a certain'limited amount of vthe position 0f the variation. It is a well known fact, however, that the bones of the foot of no two persons wearing the same -number shoe,` are alike either in width or in length this is also true of the lengths of arches.- The result is, therefore, that while a few may obtain reliefby the arch support as bought'and as corresponding to the size of shoe, inthe vast majority of cases, a physician must be consulted.

A specialist makes an arch support to give the proper adjustment to the individual case. The specialist attempts not only to remove` the pain, but valso to bringthe weakened or partly displaced bones into their normal positions. This cannot, ofcourse, be done withv the ordinary arch vsupport as found on the market, since in the wholesale arch support,

pad is predetermined and fixed.

One ofthe objects of this invention, therefore, is to provide an arch support in which the pad is capable of -wide and unrestricted adjustment, so that lthis pad may be positioned to suit the particular case to be treated, as also to adapt the pad tothe individual needs.

Further objects will appear from the de'- tail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which, v v y Figure 1 is a'plan of an insole l0f an arch support embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a view similarto Figure 1, but showing another embodiment of this invention Figure ,3 is afsection on the line 3 3, Figure l' f- Figure 4 is a section on the line 4 4, Fig- 1re 2S 1917. serial No. 174,017.

Figure 5 is a section onithe'line 5 5,

Figure 1; showing'the pad in'position;

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of one form of pad;

Figure 7 is a plan of another form of pad; F igure 8 i's a sidev elevation; f Figure 9 is a view of another form 0f pad; Figure 10 is a view of pad; and,

Figure 11 is a view showing a chart. Figure 12 is a detail showing `means for attaching the insole to the shoe; and,

Figure 13 is a section on the line13-13,

Figure 12. f 4

Referring now t0 Figures 13, 5, 6, 7 and v,.tpecication of Letters'latent. Paftgntd May, 1922 of still another form S, the arch support as shown,"comprises an inner sole embodying connected pieces 1 and 2, which are stitched on the to provide a pad receiving pocket of unrestricted area. The top piece 1 is preferably constructed of thin, soft leather, while the bottom piece 2 may be constructed of canvas or any other suitable material. Thestitching is interrupted at one side, as shown at 4,.

dotted lines 3,

to provide an opening adapted to receive the pad, while both pieces are provided with 4 numerous perforations 5, for a inafter to be described.

Iny the construction shown in Figures 2 and 4, the pieces 1l and 2, are left unperforated, and the line of stitching 3, is interpurpose hererupted at the heel, but a line of lperforations 6, continue v'the line of stitches around the heel. The insole is, furthermore, shortened, 'as' it will be obviousA thatv the front part omitted, extends beyond the arch, and a pad need never be placed at that point.

The pad 7 is constructed of leather, felt or any other' suitable material, and of a shape v depending upon the correction to bemade. Thus, the. pad shown in Figures 6 to 8, 1nclusive, forms a suitable support for one or more of the metatarsalv bones; while Figure 9'shows anoblong pad suitable for the longitudinal arch. The pads are provided wlth reference lines I'-II-III*IV, foil a purpose hereinafter to b e described. l

After lthe pad has been inserted in the pocketformed by the connected pieces 1 and 2, the pocket may be closed by lacing through' the perforations 5 or 6, in Figures 1 and 2, respectively. This lacing is preferably a- -soft, fine, but strong thread, so that it will not protrude above the face of the leather piece 1, and will, therefore, not chafe the foot. The pad may be adjusted to any suitable position over the surface of the insole, and when in position, will be retained on account of the factthat it is located in a pocket, 5 and movement of the foot over the foot engaging piece 1, can, therefore, not operate to shift this pad to any extent, especially since the pressure of the foot will soon cause the leather piece l to conform to the pad and pack around the same.- This packing will, therefore, not only retain the pad in position, but also provide a gradually sloping surface from the face of the insole to the apex of the pad. Inlorder, however, to securely retain the pad in position, a fine, soft, but strong thread 8, may be threaded through the perforations 5, around the pad in its adjusted position in the pocket, so as to provide aA smaller and fixed pocket. As an alternative or in conjunction with the lacing means, the pad may, as shown in Figure 6, be provided with a small plate 9, having short prongs 10, adapted to engage t-he canvas piece 2, and thus securely hold the pad in position. Fur- 25 thermore, the pad may, as an alternative, as shown in Figure 8, be provided with a rubber face 11, which may or may not be provided with an adhesive to securely retain the pad in position. The perforations 5 will, moreover, '30 provide a ventilated insole.

The pocket formed atthe heel may serve a further purpose of providing means for overcoming strains in the ankles, knees and hips, due to the defective position of the foot in the shoe, which causes a one-'sided wearing of the'heel. This strain is overcome by placingin the pocket at the heel, a pad 15, Figure 2, similar in section to that. shown in Figure 10, but of less height, the high part being placed on the side where the heel runseover or tends to run over.

Figure 10 shows the pad comprising an envelope 13 of leather or any other suitable material, having a filling of paraiiin treated sawdust, or any other granular or suitable body material which will adapt itself to the shape of the foot when the pad is in the pocket. fibrous substance, such as saw-dust, impregnated with a water-proof viscid substance, such as paraffin, gives the best results, as the impregnated substance is thereby itself rendered viscid free to yield and pack when in use. evolved from the foot while i n the shoe, will act to soften the impregnation orparafiin, and will, therefore, cause the impregnated fibrous filling to pack in the shoe so as to conl' form itself in the shape of the hollow or pro` jectionvimmediately above this pad. Of course, as this impre nated filling becomes more and more packe ,it will gradually conlform itself to the proper shape, and the pocket filling will retain the final correct shape and will not then change, because of the confinement of the filling. In this con- Where such a pad is used, the heat struction, therefore, the pad will adapt itself to the proper shape required, and after becoming packed, will'retain that shape.

cated where the correction is to be made with relation to the lines on the chart. rlhis impression can be obtained .in any manner known to those skilled in the art. A good method or process for obtaining this impression is to use a viscous grease, such as tallow, which will make a clear outline, and will not run to any extent. In practice, the talloiv i's used in connection with acompound, such as graphite or crayon shavings and rubbedv into the sole of the foot, -and an impression made on the paper. This will not only give a clear outline of the foot'but will also show by the shade of the impression, where the correction is lto be made; f

The outline of the foot and the location of the defect having been'indicated on the chart, the position of the pad may be readily determined Figure 11 shows as an example, the

insole and the pad, the insole being provided with suitable reference lines 16 for indicating it on the chart, the outline 0f the foota having, however, been omitted for the sake of clearness. It will be evident, however, that the position of the pad can be readily determined and expressed with respect to the insole, by means of coordinates common to both the reference lines on the pad and their relative location to the lines on the lchart which reference location becomes essential when correction cf pad position is desired, and the information must be communicated by correspondence. For instance, the insole, size #7 is shown placed on the chart with the center line 16 on d, Figure 11, between and 9i; pad apex on d and 7, line II on c and e. This information is close enough for preliminary location, the final correction being made by directly placing the insole with pad in the position named under the foot.

Figures 12 and 13 show a novel'means for attaching the arch support to/'the shoe. This 115 means comprises a sheet l-Sfof'any suitable material having a tongue 1,9 struck therefrom, the rim having applied to its lower face, any suitable cement. The piece 2 is provided with a transverse slit 17, adapted to receive the tongue 19. With this construction, the sheet 18 is secured to theinsole at the heel, and when so secured, holds the arch support in posit-ion in the shoe. It will bel noted that the insole is not retained merely at a single point, but as shown in Figures 12 and 13, the locking of the insole in position is on a line across the insole, so that the insole is secured by detachable means against shiftmg. 13o

surface, a 4versal adjustment over said surface, and lacing means adapted tofsecure said pad against It is obvious thativarious changesmay be made in' the details Without departing from the spirit of this invention. It is, therefore,

to be understood that this'invention is not to shifting. g 4 p 2. An arch support, comprising, an inner sole having an unrestricted pad-rece1ving' surface, a pad adapted for unrestricted, universal adjustment over 'said surface,` and means on said inner sole and arranged along the periphery of said pad, adapted to anchor said pad agalnst movement on said inner sole.

43. An arch support, comprising, an inner v sole embodying connected pieces constructed and arranged to provide an unrestricted padreceiving socket, and a pad adapted for unrestricted, universal adjustment in said pockety Leiaeoo p an envelope,

but retainedv in adjustedposition therein, one of said pieces being perforated to receive se- `curing means, substantially as .and for the purpose set'orth.

4. In an arch support, a pad comprising, an envelope having an impregnated viscid lling adaptingthe -pad to cnform tothevshape of the foot. Y

5.- In al1-'arch support, a pad, comprising, and ailling therein having a body of granular material and a viscid substance.-

6. In an arch support, come plastic by the action of the foot and adapted to retain the impression of the foot.

a pad adapted to be- 7. ln an arch support, a pad adapted to become plastic by the action of the heat at body i temperature and adapted to become-hard when cold.

8. In an arch support', a pad having a fill# ingi of a fibrous material andja viscid substance. v l v x t In testimony whereof I aix my signature this second day of J une, 1917.

LUDWIG' GUTMANN. 

